The present invention is directed toward a toy wheeled vehicle such as a truck or the like and, more particularly, toward such a vehicle including a microcomputer therein and including means for generating sounds that very closely resemble the sounds of a real truck or other vehicle.
Toy wheeled vehicles having electronic sound generating means therein for simulating the sounds of the vehicle's engine have been known for some time. Such prior systems are primarily intended to be used in connection with model railroad locomotives and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,466,797 to Hellsund; 3,664,060 to Longnecker; 3,839,822 to Rexford and 4,266,368 to Nyman. In each of these patents, means are also provided for sensing the speed of the locomotive and varying the engine sound in response to the sensed speed.
Furthermore, in each of the above-mentioned patents, the engine sounds are generated artificially. That is, a sound or noise generator is provided which is intended to simulate the sound of the locomotive engine. Thus, a true sound can never really be achieved. Even further, each of the vehicles described in the above patents includes an electric motor for moving the vehicle and is specifically designed to ride on a track which provides power to the electric motor. These vehicles are, therefore, not under the direct control of a child playing with the same but rather ar only indirectly controlled through the use of a transformer or the like.
Electronic circuits for providing simulated engine sounds have also been employed with vehicles other than locomotives. U.S. Pat. No. 3,425,156 to Field, for example, describes a toy automobile which includes a relaxation oscillator which generates a simulated engine sound. The car shown in this patent, however, is also intended to ride on a track and the sound generating means is stationary with respect to the track rather than being included in the car. The simulated engine sound is varied based on the voltage to the track irrespective of the actual speed of the car.
Only one prior patent is known to exist which is directed toward a toy vehicle which includes an electronic means for generating simulated vehicle sounds, which does not include an electric motor for propelling the same and which is not specifically designed to ride on a track. U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,962 to Dankman et al. is directed toward a toy vehicle which is intended to be pushed by hand and, therefore, under the direct control of a child playing with the same. The Dankman et al. vehicle includes not only engine sound generating means which varies with the speed of the vehicle but also includes means for generating other noises such as the sounds of squealing tires, of a crash or a siren.
Although the proposals set forth in Dankman et al. might be considered to be somewhat of an improvement over the prior art, it still does not result in a realistically sounding toy vehicle. For example, the Dankman et al. circuitry is incapable of producing certain sounds that one would normally expect to hear from a vehicle and particularly from a truck. The patented system does not provide means for generating an electric starter noise nor a backup beeping noise which is common with trucks. These backup beeping noises are automatically generated by a full size truck when it is put in reverse and since Dankman et al. does not provide such a sound, the patent similarly lacks any means for indicating when the vehicle is being moved in a reverse direction.
Furthermore, all of the sounds or noises generated by the Dankman et al. circuitry are artificially created. They are, therefore, not true reproductions of an actual vehicle sounds. Even further, Dankman et al. does not allow more than one sound to be produced at a time. The patent includes a priority gating logic circuit which allows only one sound to pass through to the transducer. Thus, if it is desired to generate the siren sound which is accomplished by pressing a momentary contact switch, the engine simulation sound is inhibited. This obviously is not very realistic as a vehicle riding on a street with its siren sounding simultaneously produces noise from its engine.
There is no known prior toy vehicle or patent or other disclosure describing the same which is under the direct control of a child and which is capable of realistically producing various sounds made by a full size vehicle.